The UMHB defense held Southwestern to just 146 total yards of offense and was led by several strong performances on Saturday. Amongst those were Akeem Jackson, Sante Parker Jr. and Jayden Smith, who are our nominees for Defensive Player of the Week. The stats and highlights, along with a poll to cast your vote, can be found below. Voting closes at 7:30 p.m. CT on Monday and please note, no double votes will be counted.
Linebacker Akeem Jackson led the Cru’s strong, near-perfect defensive effort against the Pirates, tallying 13 tackles, four for loss, and a forced fumble. He also put pressure on the opposing quarterback, Landry Gilpin, and helped hold Southwestern to a mere 20 rushing yards.
Sante Parker Jr. was a force in the UMHB defense’s performance, as Gilpin had little time to look downfield for an open receiver and went just 4/13 passing. Individually, Parker Jr. had 4.5 tackles for loss and forced the fumble that resulted in a touchdown. Defensive back Jayden Smith, also a nominee for Defensive Player of the Week, came all the way from his spot in the secondary to recover the fumble and score the touchdown, displaying his incredible speed and awareness.
